Sunday, April 29, 2012

It was Day 2 and already my frustrations were mounting.
Eventually our tummies were getting super hungry walking down Boylston Street and
we were desperate.

Poe Burger

Not the same as Boston Crème Pies, but a comparable alternative was this awesome Poe Burger. The patty was stuffed with lobster limbs - need I say more?

Hard to read, but a rule we can all abide by on the menu...

" *Consuming Raw or Undercooked Meat, Fish, or Eggs Can Pose a Risk to Your Health. So Can Smoking, Riding a Bike, or Crossing the Street. Eat, Drink & be Merry!"

...I can certainly appreciate the balanced facts.

Just outside, I ran into this shoe. I asked for directions for the coveted Boston treat. The shoe claimed Toll house cookie and Indian pudding were better! We got into a heated debate in the baking sun. The shoe told me Boston Creme Pie didn't really exist and it was just a load of pudding-cake (not pie).

Long story short, we had to settle our differences and became good pals with the conclusion Boston Creme Pies does exist!

Okay the story didn't really pan out that way, but there is a little bit of history on the dessert.

Slowly Carl and I made our way to the expo. We brought an Aussie friend, Keith, who we met at the hostel, along for the experience.

We were somehow leading a group of strangers into the gate, with no real
sense of directions. Oddly enough the doors, located just near the
arch gates, lead into this massive underground convention centre (we were above it the whole time).

Carl was done early on. Keith and I felt like little kids in a candy store. The big running names were all here! I guess that shouldn't be surprising considering most of them are based in Boston. We couldn't leave.

Keith and I were ushered into the end where all the official merchandise were located. By this point, Carl probably had been waiting for a few hours and got in more than some good reads from the Boston Marathon magazine.

Security had to kick us out (kindly show us the exits), before I even had the chance to try on a couple items. Nevertheless, I grab them anyways and made it to the cashier. On the positive side, there wasn't any long lines. =)

Before we knew it, the day was gone. Operation Boston Crème Pies and clam chowder had to wait another day!

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Running stores were plentiful. Sidewalks were generally wide and flat. Each intersection was uniquely old-looking in its own angular way. I couldn’t
believe the number of people running on the streets. I felt a little
overwhelmed. The Boston Jackets were everywhere!

Carl and I have
just arrived in Boston with only 5 days to explore. The hunt for Boston Crème pies
and clam chowder and seafood officially began.

We had to kickoff the trip with the Freedom Trail to check out the historic sites. On the way we past by Boston Public Garden and started at the Boston Common. I couldn't help but take some pictures during the run.

Boston Public Garden

The Freedom Trail was about a 4-km route that connected several key revolutionary and colonial-era sites in the downtown core.

Massachusetts State House

Looks like some Occupy action.

Quincy Market

It wasn’t hard to immediately notice
the downtown core had plenty of running festivities in stored for the big
marathon. The whole city was in a running frenzy. Quincy Market had some street theatrics and quite the selection of food (more to come later!).

Most of the Freedom Trail consisted of a zigzagging path of red bricks. We simply just followed it.

I had to capture the shooter of the model!

Across the bridge we went.

Charlestown Navy Yard

Don't worry these are only "defensive guns". The offensive ones are missing.